Removable top for vehicles.



' r-RAnK Giuliana, or JERSEY CITY, NEW annsnY..

.l REMOVABLE TOP' FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-- nay a. wie.

` Application led `January 18, 1915. Serial No.' 2,824. l

. 'To all ww-mtmay concern:

' biles by which 'the ordin .-.'Be,it knownthat I, FRANK GRUNDY, a citizen of the 4United 'Statesy and a resident ofjJersey City; in the county of'Hudson and Statefof New Jerseyj4 haveinventeda new and, 'Improved 'Removable Top-'for Vehicles,4

.of which' theffoll'owingl is afull, clean and exact description'.

This `invention relates to the classI of vehiclessucli as automobiles and the' invention comprehends' anj'improved; top for vautomo can-be converted'-.into one of the limousine type particularly-adaptedfor winter'use oi in cold and inclement weather'. I 4

f-furth'er object of thel invention is' to provide aremovable top of .the class .de- 'scribed in which provision is made for the convenient attachment' and removal' ofthe devicelto v'and from the bodyof the car. after `ary 'folding top has been removed, to cause a snug fit betweenthev parts order to protect the occupant-sehnt still permitand insure perfect"ventilation,l this latter object being assisted .by theprovision of sliding windovvs"adjacent4 to the doors of the car'a'nd c niountedxin'- a novel manner, while permitting'entrance'tojand'exit from the car.`

rinothenobject of the invention is to provide-a top whichthe' usual'folded or other 'top issuppleniented and replaced by ae new top''and cover as a p'art of the whole inclosure, .without "allowing the' folding bows vto 'remain' 'and-to-'detract lfrom 'the appearance of' the'ca'rgso that the top, including the cover,v will taper with'l the 'body instead .of allowing 'a'space between the inclosure and thedownturned sides of the l cover, as .is oonillon'wliere 'the usual cover is retained and" an inclosure fitted between it and .the

" body.` "Vit-h the above and othei1 objects in view,' the invention residesy inthe peculiar combination and arrangement of p'arts to be hereinafter more fullydesoribed, illustra-ted and claimed, 'it being also an object 'to protion, .durable and 'efficient a. clar having an open -loodyv taken on thev line Q-Qof Figjl; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional -view taken on the. line 3-3 lot' Fig. a tudinal .fragmentary sectional view 'of the front portion' 'of the car' taken on the line P-lof F ig, 3p; Fig. 5 is asimilar view with thesliding' window." in an,Y open position as distingus'hed from the closed position `tl1erelof shown in Fig. 4:; -Figi 6 is ay vertical cross sectional view taken on thelineG-G of Fig. 3;-Fig- 7is a similar view taken on vthe line 7-7 of' lFig.'l 3;' Fig. 8'is -a ysimilar view taken on the line-.8 8 of- Fig. 3; Fig. 9 is'a sectional-.view taken on 'the line 9-9 of Fig. 3; Fig.` 10 is a -sectional'view takenv on the line 10-I10' of Fig. 9 ;Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 11--11 of Fig.A l; Fig. 1:2. is a vertical sectional view taken on theline 1:2-12 of Fig. 1'; Fig. y13 is a detail view of a device for holding the sliding windows against movement; Fig. 1l isla detail fragmentary elevation showing the manner of bracing the rear b ow of the top; Fig. 15 is a diagrammatic plan view of the top as applied to an automobile, a portion of the cover being broken away; Fig. 16 is a horizontal sectional -view taken on the line 16-16 of Fig. 6.V

In the drawings the numeral 10 designatesthe bodv of an automobile of the touring car type, which'is provided with the usual fore door 11 and rea r doors 12 .adapted to permit entranceto andcxit :from the interior or body of thecarin the usual wav. The. ordinary folding top of the car isfremoved from 'F ig.l 4 is a horizontal longithebodv for the application of my improved I automobile top, but at-the front portion of lthe body inrear oi"v the bonnet or hood113 the usual windshield 1l is mounted to eX-. tend vertically. A

' The improved top 'includesopposite bottom bars 15 and top bars 16 which at spaced points' are provided with bows 17 the lower ends of which seat. directly` upon the bottom bars, as shown. at 1'8, while the upper -bar's are notched, as shown at 19,the notches" communicating with their outer edges to re-4 ceive the sides of' thev bowsfwhi-ch are clamped thereto :as by' go that the. outer' edges. of the barsnand bows disposed and'jfour' -of" si1ch lbows are vpreferably --employda'djacent tol the. vertical edges of fthe doors -andjatl therear portion oi". the body where the latter .curves` upwardly',

but" i'nadditioni thereto an inclined bow 2l 'ends of the upper bars 16, as shown at 25,

and lbolted thereto as shown at 26. The cover aft-er passing over the horizontal front bow 24 is connected to la cross brace 27 de`l tachably connected at its ends t-o the sides or attaching vends of said front bow, as shown lat 28 .in Fig. 3 of the drawings, so as -to come in contact with the top of the wind shield and close Vthe space between the latter and 'the front bow. The. frontbow serves in the nature of an out-rigger and projects over the wiiid shield to provide a device of better appearance as well as to protect the portion of the wind shield through which view is had as an aid in running the car in inclement weather. A linin@r 29 is also provided for the top, the same fitting the inner edges of the bows 17 and 21 and the inner edges of the upper bars 16 and suitablyattached the-reto, while a back portion 30 eX- tends between the sides of the rearmost --bow 1T over the bow 21 and connects with the body, this back portion being made of cloth, metal or other material which can be cut to Y A`.'conforin to the shape of the body.

fThe'upper bars 16 are each of one'piece formation, preferably of rectangular cross section, and are relative-ly flat and wide, while the lower bars are cut'to provide or comprise rear sections 31, intermediate sections 32 and front and rear door sections 33 v and '31, respectively, one ofthe sections 33 .being provided if a fore dooi' is provided on one side only1 and two of such sections being provided if there are two fore doors.

The rear sections 31 at their forward ends.`

holstery or padding 36 thereof, while the sections 33 and 31 over the :doors have flat vbottom portions 3l contacting with the l upper edges of the doors and secured-thereto in any suitable manner,` such as shown at 3S, by braces, so as to move with the doors-as the latter are .swung toope'iiand closed positions.- The rear extremities of the sections 31 are'curved, as show-ii at 39, in order to conform to die shape of the body adjacent to the point ofattachmcnt of the reariiiost bow 1'7 and the lbow inwardly of the back portion 30, the hack portion at its side' edges being attached to thc rearmost bow 17.

Permanently secured between the upper ai'e recessed and lower bars and the adjacentbows to the bar sections 31 and 132 are glazed sashes 10 and 41 respect-ively, vthe samelying ush with the outer faces of saidv bars and bows andy secured in positioIL-as to thesides of the bows, through the medium of'securing plates 42 so that the bars will project in wardly thereof. For this purpose the lower ,bars are preferably rabbeted on their inner edges as shown at 43 to provide vertical en@ tensions or upstanding parts 11 at their outer edges upon which `the stationary sashes 40 and 41 rest, there being suitable molding or weather strips 4:5 overlying the coacting vertical' edges of the sashes and bows and the lower edges of said sashes'and their bar sections. Irl-the rabbeted or recessed portions 13, as well as the bottoni faces of the upper bars 16 inwardly of the sashes, guideways are provided each made in the form of Achannel-shaped strips 46 suitably secured thereto in order to slidably mount glazed sashes 17 and 1S which are. located above the doors when in closed positionand which are designed tol be opened by moving the saine rearwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings, insideof the stationary sashes to permit ingress andegress to and from the car by permitting the doors, together with the, door sections 33 and 31, to be swung therewith. yThe door and bar sections are cut' on a bevel, as shown in. -Figs. -l and 5, to permit the latter operation and the movable sashes are/provided with handles 19 'at their front and rear edges to perniitthein to be grasped on the inside for sliding the same.

Wl'hen the 4movable sashes are closed, as shown in Fig'. l. the joints are sufficientlyY tight to protect theoccupants but to insure perfect .ventilatiom In order to hold vthe sashes iii closed position clamping devices are mounted on the lower bars iiiiwardlyof the guide-ways, the same comprising threaded bearings 50 with clamping screws 51 'tipA erating therethrough and having enlarged engaging ends to contact with the inner faces of the sashes at their` rearsides. It the sashes 10 are curved at their lower rear corners filling blocks 52 are inserted between said curved portions and the lower bars 15,

'and at the front of the top inserts 53 are provided which are clamped to the wind shield frame as by loop straps 51 and to the structure more permanent the sections 3l and 32 may be secured to thev body at the inside by means of braces 57.

From the ,foregoing description in connection-with the accompanying drawings it will he seen that a device has been provided Y' closure, including the cover, by conforming to the body and tapering therewith as shown in Fig. 15 of the drawings, obviates the necessity of providing a space between the inclosure and the sides of the usualtop and supporting bows thereof, where such inclosure is employed with the usual ,construcvtion 'of tops which are of even width throughout their length, while the bodies are tapered. Furthermore, advantage is4 claimed over the ordinary perni-.nient top in which slidable saslies are now provided but in which the doors include glass panels.A

which open therewith without affording any convenient means of ventilation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is d l. The combination with an automobile body ,having swinging doors anda wind shield; of a removable top including oppo` site longitudinal upper and loweibars, said lower bars being designed to lit the body and being divided into sectionscertain of which aie connected to the doors to move therewith, means to detachably secure the other sections to the body.'bows at spaced points along said top and having side portions with theiivlower extremities resting upon the lower bars beyond the movable sections thereof, said upper bars being notched to receive said bow", a covering over the bows, a lining therefor, a front bow between the upper bars over which said lining passes to coiiiiectwith the wind shield, sections contiguous with the lower bars and connected to the sides of the wiwi qhield. guidewavs on the bottom faces of the upper bars -and the top faces of the lower bars, stationary sashes secured between the sides of the bows and the upper and lower barsbeyond the doors in watertight connection therewith and sashes movable in the guideways for operation over the doors to close the spaces between the first-named sashes and between the forwardmost of said sashes and the sections at the wind shield.

2. The combination with an automobile body having swinging doors and a wind shield; of a removable top including oppolowerbars being designed to iit the 'body and' being divided into sections certain of which' are .connected to the doors to move therewith, means to detachably secure the other sections to the body, bows at spaced points Valong said top and having side por` tions with their lowerextremities resting upon the lower bars beyond the movable sections thereof, said upper bars' beingv notched to receive said bow a covering over the bows, a lining therefor, a front bow betweenthe upper bars over which said llining passes 'to contact with the wind shield, sectio'ns contiguous with the lower bars and connected to 'the' sides of the wind shield, guideways on the bottoni faces ofthe upper 'bars andthe top faces of the lower bars,

stationary saslies secured between the sides of the bows and the upper and lower bars 'flush with the outer faces thereof, other `sashes slidably in the guideways for movement beyond the rst named sashes and -doors when closed to span the sections-and guideways adj aceiit thereto and adapted to be opened rearwardly inside of said first named sashes clear of said doors and-means to hold said sashes in closed position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my.` o

iianieto this specification in thepreseiice of two subscribing witnesses.

, FRANK'GRUXDY. Wit nesses JOHN E. Biiicit. PHILIP` D. RoLLHAUs.

,site longitudinal upper and lowerv bars. said 

